Six years before our country gave women suffrage, Alaska granted women the right to vote. In 1922, a Tlingit chief, Charlie Jones, was jailed for voting. His protest led to Native Alaskans getting the right to vote two years before Native Americans. In 1944, Roberta Schenck, a Native woman, sat in the "White's Only" section of the movie theatre in Nome. She was dragged out and jailed. Schenck was Alaska's Rosa Parks. Because of her bravery and the moving testimony of Elizabeth Peratrovich, Territorial Gov. Ernest Gruening signed an anti-discrimination law on February 16, 1945.
In 1970, a Republican-ruled Senate decriminalized abortion three years prior to Roe v. Wade. Our privacy laws are the strongest in the country. Do we really need a "Choose Life" license plate?
There is little wonder why Alaska was ahead of the curve. If you fall through the ice, off a boat, or are stranded in the wilderness, a potential rescuer's gender or race is irrelevant; we're interdependent.
I urge you to click the link provided above and read the entire article. It is really quite good.
Strong willed people often butt heads over a variety of topics, and differing points of view, and so it is with Shannyn and I. However we will forever be tied together through our love of Alaska, our shared scars from the battles against Palin and her ilk, and our desire to see politics in Alaska returned to their ethical, and dare I say progressive, roots.
Excellent post!
ReplyDeleteShannon and Gryphen:
ReplyDeleteCongratulations for widening the knowledge that Alaska has been at the forefront of progressive thought.
As always in history progress is followed by standstill and reflection, which then at times leads to a period of regression.
Balance is but momentary.
The metaphor of the pendulum's swing is quite appropriate when one examines the long view back.
I hope we are coming to the end of this current cycle.
Progressives must unite in common strengths once again to overcome the cruelly oppressive greed of the multinational corporations, the dominion of fanatic religionists of all stripes who want to repeat the horrors of past terrors in the name of their god, and the proudly undereducated xenophobes of this nation and many others.
fromthediagonal
Like to read the article, but I can't find the link.
ReplyDeleteJust my opinion, but I think after having gotten 2 or 3 years of NetRoots scholarships, Shannyn should have worked to get funding via her other contacts like HuffPo and her radio network, and given someone else a chance at the scholarship.
ReplyDeleteThat's great Alaskan history ya'll have up there and something to be very proud of.
ReplyDeleteBut then .... it all went downhill after Tundra Tessie boarded the political shrimp boat in your backyard.
You poor folk, we all feel your pain.
--GypsyGirl
Shannyn is wonderful and she's so smart and everything and she doesn't believe that Palin faked her last pregnancy. Shannyn is truly a headfucked Alaskan!
ReplyDeleteSorry, I don't think much of Shannyn. I don't see her as progressive at all. I find her to be arrogant and self-serving. She isn't as narcissistic as Sarah Palin but it's close. I do feel badly saying this because I tried to be impressed when you wrote about her. But she's a lot like Palin, without the illegal stuff of course. But she is eager to do things to advance her career and it appears as if she'd step on others or conveniently adjuat stories to get there.
ReplyDeleteI hope I'm wrong but I've been disappointed so far.
As I get to know her better, I find that I agree with her less and less. I find her rude and insensitive to people who don't strictly follow her lead. In general, she has become less and less attractive as time goes on.
ReplyDeleteI'll stand behind anyone who is exposing the ridiculousness of the "rugged individualism" as a core value of America. The true rugged individuals such as the trappers were few in number. The vast majority of the frontier folk knew it was absolutely essential to everyone's survival to hang together and lend a helping hand whenever necessary.
ReplyDeletethat was then, Alaska was great! we were way ahead of allot of other states. but over the years allot of folks from right wing states moved here changing Alaska NOT for the better. they continue to revolve in and out as some leave they are replaced by more of the same. and those of us that have been here all along Pay the Price. this is now, we have to live with it or leave because it is not our state anymore!!
ReplyDeleteThis would be progressive: Shannyn declares herself Trignostic rather than O'Malleyan and takes back calling us wearers of tinfoil hats.
ReplyDeleteB she only says that in case heaven forbid she was wrong and then has to admit it. Appearances, appearances!
ReplyDeleteShe has changed
Wait, I thought liberal was a bad word...
ReplyDelete